


Sandman

by lou96



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Adorable first meeting, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Based on Neil Gaiman's The Sandman, Bedtime Stories, Bittersweet Ending, Child Eren Yeager, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Cuteness overload ppl, Eren Yeager Is a Ray of Sunshine, Friendship, Happy Birthday to my man Levi, Levi is a softie, Levi is sweet, M/M, but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:20:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28326696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lou96/pseuds/lou96
Summary: “...Say your prayer, little one.”An infinite current of cold air made Eren move closer to the reassuring heat of his uncle. The snow was slowly obscuring the view from his window, creating a lonely white fortress for the people inside the house. Hannes continued to read without noticing the change in Eren’s behavior.“Don’t forget, my son, to include everyone.”Maybe they should have stopped after the Little Red Riding Hood story.
Relationships: Hannes & Eren Yeager, Levi & Eren Yeager, Levi/Eren Yeager
Comments: 6
Kudos: 44





	Sandman

“Grandmother, what big eyes you have!”

This was his favorite moment of the day. The house was quiet, only the voice of his uncle could be heard. That and his frenetic heartbeats in his chest. His chocolate hair was still wet when he had been put into bed. But the little kid was just too excited; he wanted to know the end of the story. 

“All the better to see with, my child.” 

The sky outside was black, with no trace of the moon but that didn’t worry him. Why being afraid of the dark? He was a big boy now. Eren briefly looked up. The ceiling of his room was covered with stars coming from his night light. His mother had bought it for his birthday, _to protect you_ she had said. Maybe she was right.

Unconsciously, he brought the blanket closer to his face, his eyes not leaving the form of his uncle sitting on his bed. The shadow of the tree branches had come crawling onto the floor of his room. The tictoc of the clock seemed to stop as the story got darker. Uncle Hannes had told him the story was a bit scary

“Grandmother, what big teeth you have got!” 

At the same time as he read those words, Uncle Hannes showed his teeth. This action did make Eren giggle under his blanket. He had always loved animals and the wolf in the story did not seem like a bad one.

The shelves in his room were filled with toys and books he had received from his parents. Most were about fairytales, dragons, and dinosaurs but the huge book in his uncle’s hands was certainly his favorite one.

They had found it while looking into the basement of the house. An old lock had prevented them at first from opening it. But who could resist a good book? His parents were away for a couple of days. So tonight was the fourth story Uncle Hannes and he were reading together. 

The breathing of Hannes got suddenly faster, one of his hands grabbing Eren’s left foot. 

“...All the better to eat you up with.” 

The laughs of Eren were loud enough to cover those of his uncle’s. Hannes had always found a way to make the boy happy. And anyone would agree that Eren was a real sunshine to be with. But, there was always a _but_.

Under those bright eyes, and this sweet curly head, something that no one except the close family knew. A secret that hopefully would remain only just a secret. 

“Well, I guess that’s it for today.” A genuine smile on his face, Hannes got closer and gently gave a kiss on his nephew’s forehead. “Good night, Eren.”

“Uncle?” The high voice of Eren broke the silence of the room. The man was already standing up to leave with the book when he turned around. “Can we read another one, please?” 

It was already past his bedtime but how could anyone say no? 

Hannes and Eren had spent the whole day playing outside. The cookie jar was filled with freshly baked treats they had made for his parents. They were supposed to arrive the following day. The white snow had started to accumulate on the window frame, a pleasant reminder that tonight was indeed Christmas Eve.

The gift he had made at daycare was already wrapped up under the tree. Uncle Hannes had also added a little something for the whole family. Everything has been perfect so far. The only problem was the little boy in dinosaur sheets begging for another story. But one more shouldn’t be a problem, right?

“...Fine, but just one. Promise?” Yeah, Hannes had never been very authoritarian. Especially with Eren and his friend from daycare Annie. Both of these tiny humans were bossing him around and using puppy eyes to get pizza all the time. 

“Promise!” Eren happily showed his pinky to seal the deal with his uncle. He tried to control the excitement in his legs as he replaced himself with the pillow behind his head. There was nothing better sleeping late. Well, maybe eating maple candies was in first place but going to bed late sure was close behind. “What’s next?” 

“The Sandman.” 

The whistle of the wind gently taped on his bedroom window, _careful_ seemed to be murmured. Hannes stood up to dim the lights of the bedroom before sitting back next to Eren. The book was placed between them to facilitate the reading.

With a huge smile on his face, Eren looked at the first page. There was a little moon next to the title of the story. They both slightly furrowed their brows at the unexpected surprise. Indeed, the other ones didn’t have images, only words to let the reader wonder. 

“...Say your prayer, little one.”

An infinite current of cold air made Eren move closer to the reassuring heat of his uncle. The snow was slowly obscuring the view from his window, creating a lonely white fortress for the people inside the house. Hannes continued to read without noticing the change in Eren’s behavior.

“Don’t forget, my son, to include everyone.” 

Maybe they should have stopped after the Little Red Riding Hood story. 

“I tuck you in, warm within, keep you free from sin.” Even Hannes seemed engrossed into the story, his voice no louder than a whisper.

There was an image of a child sleeping in their bed, a small candle next to them to illuminate their night. Eren was not paying attention to the words, his eyes not losing sight of the defiling images. He could tell something was odd. 

“Til the sandman he comes.” 

Everyone knew who the sandman was, supposedly a fairy with golden hair, shining clothes and dust to sprinkle into the eyes of children at night. But maybe we were all wrong. Eren only saw darkness on the next page. The mystic character seemed to blend into the shadow under the bed. The child in the story didn’t seem aware of the beast patiently waiting for an opening. 

“Sleep with one eye open.” A frisson of apprehension shot through Eren, when was the last time he had checked under his bed?

His mother had told him that monsters only existed in our head, but his uncle had told him a different story. He had said that the world was old, _very_ old, so how could we be sure that those creatures were only mere fantasy? It was at that time that Eren had started to believe.

“Gripping your pillow tight, you shall enter the night.” The next page showed the same image again, the little kid with the shadow under the bed but a tiny detail had been added to the scene. Two spots floating in the air could be noticed, observing their prey trying to sleep. 

“Would you take my hand?”

_Gray._ The eyes of the sandman were _gray_. 

“Eren?” 

The hands of his uncle gently went to give him a hug from the side. Eren didn’t know when he had hidden his face but one thing was sure, this story was not made for children. Only the view of those eyes had made him shivers in fear. Was that a fairytale or a forgotten devil among the men? 

“What about we sleep for the night and finish the story tomorrow instead?” The reassuring voice of Uncle Hannes helped calm down his troubled mind. Eren was grateful that the man didn’t mention his scaredy-cat attitude. Not that he was ashamed or anything but he wanted to be brave and someone to be taken seriously. The boy had turned five years old this summer, so he sure was a man now. 

“Can we have pancakes for breakfast?” His small voice came out muffled as Eren buried his nose into his uncle’s clothes. Hannes simply smiled at the unsurprising request, knowing that it was his nephew’s favorite.

The temperature of the room seemed to be warmer, less suffocating. The phantom of the dark fairy had probably disappeared quietly. 

Hannes stood yet again but not before giving one last hug. After wishing each other good night, the book went back to Eren’s bookshelf. Hand on the doorknob, his uncle silently closed the door after him. Only the sound of the snow and the wind dancing together was enough to keep the boy awake.

Eren stayed on his back, praying at the ceiling that tonight would be different. A faint sign escaped his lips as the minutes passed. The stars above him slowly brought him into a sleeping transe, the heaviness in his eyes was unwelcomed but necessary. 

“... _night, Eren._ ”

For once, it wasn’t a nightmare that had woken him. Eren felt without seeing the big winter storm outside. A heavy rain with a powerful wind slightly made the house cry under the pressure. The window of his room was still drowning under the weight of the snow. Only the blue light coming from the moon and traversing through the frozen ice was partially eclairing the room. The boy briefly scanned in front of him as he got up in his bed.

Everything seemed normal but something, yes, something was missing. _Dark_. The room was darker than before. Eren suddenly looked up at the bedroom ceiling, his heart pounding in his ears. 

The stars coming from his night light had disappeared. 

One tear then another started to roll down on his cheeks. The quiet noise of his sniffs as Eren tried to hold up from crying could have melted anyone’s heart. Usually, he would have already gone to his parents’ room or to his uncle’s but he knew that he needed to stop this nonsense.

Slowly, he managed to stop the tears from falling. What was one night in his own bed for once? His parents would be so happy tomorrow to know that for the very first time, their son had stayed quiet the entire night. 

Getting up on his feet, Eren tried to walk around his toys on the floor. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep, not without someone he trusted by his side. It didn’t take him long before finding what he was looking for. The leather of the book was soft under his fingertips as Eren took it out from the bookshelf. 

“...Where is it again?” 

Eren was lying on his tummy with the book also on the floor. The white mat under him seemed blue from the light of the window. He kept turning the pages, not knowing why but he felt strangely called by one story in particular. Some say that curiosity had killed the cat but the boy was too young to know this proverb. 

“Found it!” He carefully retraced the image of the moon before slowly going over each letter forming the title of his next adventure. “S...A...N...D...M...A...N.”

“The Sandman.” The infamous name of the fairy slipped through his lips as he read it aloud.

The clock on the wall continued its indefatigable tictoc but it was the cold breeze that made him raise his head. Goosebumps traveled along his spine, starting from his bare feet to end on the tips of his red ears. Maybe he should have been more careful. Eren saw it, hidden in the corner of his room that was left with no light to show its true self.

Like in the story, two unknown eyes were staring back at him. 

“...Usually, a kid would be asleep at this time.” 

Either he was dreaming or a male voice had just reprimanded him for not sleeping. From his spot, Eren wasn’t able to identify the person. The eyes of the stranger reminded him of a thunder he had seen over the previous summer. Maybe he should have screamed for help but the only reaction he had was to furrow his brows in confusion. 

“Why aren’t you sleeping then?” His mother wouldn’t have been happy with this reply. He was already expecting to be lectured for his boldness. Indeed Eren was not one to be easy to tame, he wanted to be treated like an adult. 

“Oh? Not bad.” 

A soft chuckle had followed the answer of the man, sounding more amused than mad at the situation. Eren felt the stiffness in his shoulders decrease. Probably all just a silly dream again. Which explained why the boy continued to talk without worrying too much about the possible consequences.

“Who are you, sir? And what are you doing in my room?” His eyes tried to discern the form of the man but it was too hard for him to see something. The other stayed still, only the regular breathing of Eren could be heard for a moment. 

“Well, you know the first one already, don’t you Eren?” 

A cloud briefly passed in front of the moon. The only source of light temporarily disappeared, letting the boy in complete darkness. Only the gray of the man’s gaze was visible into the room. The book was still opened in front of him when he looked closely again at the man. Eren felt his heart skipping a beat as their eyes met.

Maybe he should have stayed in his bed. 

He lowered his head back to the floor. The blue light was enough for him to read again the title of the beast with silver eyes. Eren didn’t notice the quiet steps on the floor slowly approaching, only the black letters in front of him were on his mind.

“...The Sandman.” The boy shut his eyes, waiting for something, anything that would make him regret being awake in the middle of the night. Eren prepared himself for the worst, maybe the beast would eat him in one bite. But what he didn’t expect was the _gentle_ pat on his head.

He opened his eyes under the tender touch. 

There was a man in a black jacket squatting in front of him, a little smile on his lips. _A fairy?_ The white skin of the stranger seemed to glow under the light of the moon. The black hair reminded him of the ravens in his backyard. Eren quickly looked to see if he could spot a pair of wings but he was not so fortunate. Only a small detail was giving away the man’s real form. Sparkling gray eyes. 

“You can call me Levi if you want.” The sandman continued to observe him a brief moment before looking at the mat under Eren. His face immediately turned into a stunned expression. “Please, tell me the floor is clean at least?” 

Not a second passed before Eren simply started to _laugh._ A clear, jovial childish laugh that would normally have woken up his uncle. He had not expected the fairy to be this nice. The enthusiastic nod he gave to the other was followed by a thump on the floor. He felt a warm presence by his side, the sandman had copied his lay-down posture on the mat. 

“So? What are we doing now?” Like a spell, the snow covering his bedroom window suddenly started to melt like it was summer already. The light of the moon suddenly illuminated the entire room, as if the darkness had escaped at the same time as the ice. 

Definitely impressed by this magical performance, Eren turned his head in awe. The man was looking at him, patiently waiting for his reply.

“I was reading your story.” They both exchanged a smile, a friendship between a five years-old and a strange fairy had begun. 

The boy couldn’t really remember why Levi had been so scary at first. They spent probably more than an hour chatting on the floor, the book forgotten a while ago. Eren was happy now. They had turned on their back to look at the ceiling. Levi had, by some mysterious ways, been able to make little stars appear above them.

Eren learned that the fairy’s favorite constellation was one in the shape of a teapot. Nevertheless to say that this had been followed by a pinky promise where the young boy would have to try tea one day.

_Together hopefully_ was what Eren had wished for. 

“...You can fly?”

It was by far the best night of his life. Levi had answered every question, sounding pleased to talk with him. Eren had never thought he would have met someone so interesting. As he was about to discover yet another thing about his friend, the familiar tictoc of the clock started to resonate into the entire house. It was midnight already.

“Oh! Right!” He completely turned to face his friend. The arm under his head moved slightly as well as the sandman imitated his position. The silver eyes met green ones as confusion was written on the older man’s face. But Eren wanted to be the first one to tell him. 

“Merry Christmas, Levi.”

Eren saw the man frozen for a brief instant. Levi had probably not expected to be treated like any other human. But he didn’t have time to worry about the fairy as he was enveloped into a warm embrace. 

“...Merry Christmas, Eren.” He felt himself slowly closing his eyes, sleepiness had finally caught up on him. 

The next morning, Eren found himself in his bed. His dinosaur sheet had been brought up all the way to his chin when he woke up. The book was back at its original place and there was no trace of Levi anywhere in the room. The noise of someone moving around downstairs made him jump to his feet. Maybe the fairy was waiting for him. Eren quickly ran to his shelf to take out his favorite book. 

“Merry Christmas, sleepyhead.” Hannes had finished up the pancakes at the same time as Eren entered the kitchen. His gaze went over each corner of the place, expecting his friend to magically appear before him. “You hungry?” But only his uncle was there.

The divine smell of maple syrup made him sit at the kitchen table, the book placed next to him. Maybe Levi had needed to go to his family’s house. Without worrying too much about it, Eren started to eat with his uncle. They talked about what they could do today before his parents arrived, maybe decorating some cookies and watching a movie. Surely, he could invite Levi and play with him again today. 

“...I am really proud of you, Eren.”

His uncle had started to pick up their empty plates, taking a moment to tenderly ruffle through his nephew’s chocolate hair. The boy titled his head to the side, not having paid attention to the conversation. He sure was happy to be praised but confused as to why he had deserved it. 

“For what?” 

“I went to check on you last night…” Eren could already imagine the reaction of his uncle at the sight of an unknown man and him on the floor, talking and laughing together. Maybe today would be his last day on earth. “And you were sleeping in your bed the entire time.”

A strange feeling of confusion and panic started to build into his little chest, Eren dropped his fork on the table. The sudden noise made Hannes look back at him, already bending to pick up the dirty object on the floor for him. 

“Please uncle, read the end for me.” Eren had opened the book on the kitchen table. Something was telling him to verify that last night hadn’t been just a dream, that indeed, he had made a new friend. Tears in his eyes were already menacing to fall.

The unfinished eggs and toasts had become cold as Hannes finally turned on the last page of the story.

“Take my hand, little one.” The image represented the sleeping child walking away with a mysterious man in a black jacket. The gray eyes of the sandman gazed at his new companion, a happy smile had finally appeared on his lips. 

Eren faintly heard the last words ending the story of his dream.

_“We're off to never never-land.”_

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas!! thank you to my wonderful friend [Gabi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/notbad/pseuds/notbad) for editing my work.
> 
> Happy Birthday to Captain Levi 🤓
> 
> Thank you so much for reading this little fic. 😙 I wanted this story to be cute but at the same with an ending giving space for imagination but! 
> 
> I've an idea for a sequel 🙊 
> 
> Enter Sandman from Metallica inspired me the story of Levi. 
> 
> I hope you had a lovely day. 
> 
> Be safe and love y'all ❤😳


End file.
